Huthayfa Almassri, Attempted Coercion of a Minor for Sex, Pennsylvania 2022

PITTSBURGH – A heinous crime has shaken the community as a Palestinian national has been charged with the attempted coercion of a minor for sex.
Huthayfa Almassri, 31, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of attempted coercion and enticement of a minority to engage in illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on Nov. 9, 2022, names Huthayfa Almassri as the sole defendant in this case. According to the indictment, from June 14, 2022, until Oct. 16, 2022, Almassri used the Internet and a cellular telephone to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States government to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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